Self-adjusting arch support



Aug. 30, 1955 H. c. STEIN 2,716,295

SELF-ADJUSTING ARCH SUPPORT Original Filed March 15, 1952 INVEN'ITOR fienfi 01201 12155121 M ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,716,295 SELF-ADJUSTING ARCH SUPPORT Harry C. Stein, Yonkers, N. Y., assignor of one-fifth to Leonard J. Stein, Houston, Tex., one-fifth to Stanley M. Stein, New Orleans, La., onefifth to Melvin Stein, Jackson Heights, N. Y., and one-fifth to Frank R. Stein, Yonkers, N. Y.

Application November 4, 1953, Serial No. 390,155 3 Claims. (Cl. 3671) My invention relates to shoes and more particularly to the shanks thereof.

As appears in my earlier patent application Serial No. 247,245, dated September 15, 1951, now Patent No. 2,648,144, dated August 11, 1953, the distribution of the forces in the foot, when standing or in propulsion, occurs along different axes. The axis of standing, for example, extends along a longitudinal line from the under surface of the center of the heel bone, i. e. the medial calcaneal tubercle, to the head of the third metatarsal bone. The axis of propulsion extends along an oblique axis from the center of the heel bone to the ball of the large toe. The various motions involved in the changes of position and form of the foot include axial torsion, abduction and adduction of the forefoot, pronation and supination, inversion and eversion, plantar and dorsiflexion, as well as changes in the length of the foot.

One of the major requirements of the shank or arch support of the shoe is to allow the shifting of the body weight from the axis of standing to the axis of propulsion, and the return shift without interference, obstruction or delay. The foot cannot function naturally, I have discovered, unless the shank or support possesses a mobility and an adaptability of a self-adjusting character to conform with the changing requirements of the foot.

The shank of the conventional shoe consists of several layers of leather or similar material reinforced by a rigid immobile layer usually of steel, fastened between leather layers in an arbitrary and symmetrical axis. Such rigid and immobile shank results in faulty weight bearing and distribution with resulting symptoms. This is followed by a structural breakdown of the foot as well as irregular premature wear of the shoe.

Accordingly, the primary object of my invention is to provide a self-adjusting reinforcement for a shoe shank that supports and allows adequate transfer and distribution of the' body weight both in standing and in walking positions.

Further objects are to provide such a shank reinforcement that is capable of mobility, adaptability and realignment to the changes in the axes assumed by the foot; to provide specifically for a shoe reinforcement that will permit a torsional motion in the supporting structure; and to accomplish all the foregoing features in a shank incorporated in the shoe itself, or independently in a separate arch support.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my novel self-adjusting arch support;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modification, partially in section.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated a reinforcement that may be employed to achieve partially the effect obtained by the ball and socket joint shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 276,753, filed March 15, 1953. The blades are made in a single stamping 70, the longitudinal openings 72 forming the blades 74. The ends of the openings are enlarged as at 76 to form necks 78. The

Patented Aug. 30, 1955 necks having a reduced cross-section will allow a certain torsional movement in the blades within the resiliency of the metal to accommodate the transfer of forces in the foot. The blades are preferably covered with a resilient layer of rubber over which a layer of leather is provided to give the reinforcement the appearance of an arch support.

Still another modification is shown in Fig. 2, wherein the blades are entirely separate from each other but are retained in operative position by adhesion to an elastic sheeting 82 such as rubber. When covered as at 84 and inserted in the shoe, the movement of the blades on the flexible mounting will similarly facilitate the transfer of forces involved in locomotion.

An added benefit to be derived from my invention is the massaging and exercising effect upon the foot by the torsional and other movements obtained during locomotion.

In the foregoing, I have disclosed a. shoe shank reinforcement that substantially maintains the supporting quality of the shank, while at the same time accommodating the body-weight shifting from the axis of standing to the axis of propulsion. The reinforcement is self-adjusting both longitudinally and torsionally without loss of stability.

I have thus overcome the difficulties hitherto encountered in the conventional shoe which obstructed the transfer of force to the big toe involved in propulsion and resulted in an overstrain and breakdown of the various parts of the foot as evidenced by broken down anterior arches, bunions, and arch strain.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

1. An arch support for ready insertion in a shoe comprising a plurality of parallel shape-retaining elements extending longitudinally from the region of the breast of the heel of a shoe for the length of the shank area, and an elastic underlying proximal support therefor providing means for torsional support of the shape-retaining elements with respect to the longitudinal axes thereof, whereby torsional movement of the foot within the shank area is unimpeded by the arch support, and a cover over the shape-retaining elements.

2. The arch support of claim 1 wherein the shaperetaining elements are made of slotted sheet material, the ends of the slots being enlarged to reduce the cross-section of the sheet material adjacent the slots to minimize the resistance to the torsional movement of the elements.

3. The arch support of claim 1 wherein the shaperetaining elements are separately formed from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,974 Toporizer Mar. 17, 1908 895,539 Courteau Aug. 11, 1908 989,823 Svenson Apr. 18, 1911 1,346,444 Darling July 13, 1920 1,369,375 Barrett 2. Feb. 22, 1921 1,848,518 Doran Mar. 8, 1932 2,129,424 Jay Sept. 6, 1938 

